Spirit Tracks Abridged!
by The Mormon And Otaku
Summary: Throughout the travels of the 'Hero of Trains,' there have been many instances where common sense would've immensely helped. Fortunately and unfortunately, Link is the only one who can think outside the box! Behold, a retell of the Spirit Tracks where Link is always annoyed and wishes that he could have a normal conversation with people!
1. Chapter 1

_My name is Link. I'm an orphan who was abandoned as a baby in this run-down village with no clue to who my real parents are. For some reason, the people around me seemed to be air-heads, and I was the only one with common sense. It was a curse, as I was constantly annoyed by everybody's ignorance. My life was as bright as a clam. Still….._

"...Hey, are you paying attention Link?!"

Niko's sudden shout snaps me out of my slumber. I mumble, "You've already told me this story a hundred times already. I don't see why you have a need to keep telling me all this."

He slams his cane into the ground as he shouts, "Because I may not be around much longer! Somebody needs to carry on the legacy of this story! It may be the only thing left of me!"

I tilt my head towards him and open my right eye. "Everybody knows that story. It's the most popular folktale around Hyrule, not to mention part of history textbooks. I mean, how else did you get those pictures?"

"A-ah! Er, w-well, you see-"

"Also, everybody knows that you used to be a pirate who traveled with Tetra. There is literally a stained-glass window of Tetra in the Hyrule castle. You're an actual celebrity."

Niko slumped his head in acknowledgement of my logic. Still, I knew that he was going to keep telling me that story every week.

Alfonzo then came barging in, not bothering to knock. "Link, why're you still here? Your graduation is today!"

I yawn as I get up. "I know, I haven't forgotten. Just thought I'd take a nap before we left." We then walk together to the train station in front of Aboda village.

As Alfonzo pulls the train out of storage, he suddenly says, "You know what, I'll let YOU drive us to Hyrule castle. Think of it as your final test."

I look wearily at him. "Alfonzo, I have been training to become an engineer for years. I've literally put in more time into driving a train than my social life, not that there's much people I can talk to considering there's less than ten people who live in this village, including me."

He looked surprised before saying, "Then I guess you're okay with driving us!"

I sigh. It hadn't even been five minutes since I woke up and already I felt migraine coming on.

As Alfonzo gets settled into the passenger wagon, I step onto the locomotive and shout, "ALL ABOOOOOAAAARRRD!" I then pull the lever to the highest gear and start making my way to Hyrule's train station. A small smile formed on my face as the train starts to move.

… _.Driving a train was always fun._


	2. Chapter 2

Trains, to most people, are convenient at best and boring at worst. To me though, trains were my everything. I found the different designs of trains to be cool, and always loved to be the one at the locomotive, or more commonly known as the front car. My passion for trains has helped me find happiness in my life, believe it or not, so obtaining my engineer certificate was a big deal to me.

However...

"Link, remember-"

"Yes, I know Alfonzo, use the horn to get animals off the train tracks."

"And also don't forget about-"

"I know how the lever works too! There is literally only four gears to a train lever, it's not that hard!"

Alfonzo goes silent for a few moments. "...But do you remember-"

"IF YOU KEEP TELLING ME TO NOT RAM INTO ANOTHER TRAIN EVERY TIME THAT I DRIVE THEN THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO!"

My scream seems to get through to him, as Alfonzo shuts up for good. I sigh in relief as he finally stops talking. _Most people would think that I'm overreacting. Well guess what, most people don't constantly get lectured every time you drive a train when you've studied of how to drive said train for your whole life!_ I'm not gonna lie, Alfonzo was a pretty nice guy. I like him well enough to tolerate his constant reminders of train-driving, but he was a total PAIN about it!

Still, the silence he gave allowed me to do a little routine to relax whenever I was on the railroads. I slow the train down to normal speeds and close my eyes, immersing myself to the cool breeze on my face with the warm rays of the sun. _Y'know, even though the world sucks, it's times like these that make life worth living._

My mood dramatically increases my mood, and I give a little toot with the horn. At that moment, I forgot about all my worries and only felt happiness.

It was going to suck when my mood got ruined again though.

The journey from Aboda to Hyrule town was about three minutes. It wasn't the fastest time that I've made before, but it was still good nonetheless.

I've actually been to Hyrule quite often from errands that I had to run with Alfonzo, so it wasn't an unfamiliar sight. I had driven us here a lot actually. Alfonzo, on the other hand, thought that this was my very first drive ever. "Congratulations Link! You've passed the final test with flying colors!"

"Alfonzo, you know that I've driven us here before, right?"

"Anyways, you better hurry to Hyrule castle for your graduation ceremony!"

He either didn't hear me or was just ignoring me. "I know, I got letter containing the details like last week." From what I could tell, the postmaster had common courtesy, something extremely rare to me.

Alfonzo slaps me on the back with a grin on his face. "Hurry along now, or you'll miss it!"

I sigh, completely happy to get going. _Once I get my engineer certificate, I can finally drive a train without getting lectured by Alfonzo every time! I can even use a canon, and take on transportation jobs! I'll be able to start living on my own soon!_ Imagining myself living alone quietly in the woods starts to make me excited. I run eagerly to the castle, arriving there in about ten seconds.

The guards in front of the castle entrance stop me, particularly the big burly one. "What is it kid? We're kinda busy protecting Hyrule castle right now. If you've got no business here, I'd suggest you scram!"

I deadpan. "...They didn't tell you who the person attending for the engineer graduation ceremony was? The one thing that they should've told you to avoid misunderstandings like this?"

"Huh? Ah, that's right! I completely forgot that today was the day!"

 _Wow. Some guard you are._

He looks at me closely, though I didn't know how he was doing that since his hat covered his eyes. "I didn't know they gave engineering certificates to little kids like you."

"Well, I don't see why not. Driving a train is like the easiest thing ever. The trains can't even go fast enough to go off-rails, so the only real danger is being stupid enough to drive into another train and the occasional beasts roaming around."

The guard merely shrugged his shoulders. "I guess times really are a-changing... Well, go on in." The two step aside, and I strut my way inside the castle. However, ANOTHER guard was standing in the way!

He was really skinny, similar to the other guard that just stood in silence at the front entrance. "Halt! The princesses's throne room is up these stairs. Only invited guests are allowed in, which means for YOU-"

"I am completely okay to walk right in." I pull out the letter about my graduation and show it to him.

He looks flabbergasted. "W-well, I…. I guess you are!" He steps aside, and I pass my final obstacle standing between me and my certificate.

 _I've looked forward to this day for years. My new life as a true engineer is about to start! Oooh, I can't wait for the ceremony to start!_

The ceremony sucked.

Not only was the princess getting ready to appear for twenty seconds, because apparently EVERYBODY forget that today was my graduation, the chancellor made me kneel for over five minutes without being allowed to lift my head up! So when princess Zelda did finally show up, I was really irritated.

 _Although..._ My eyes perk up as I see princess Zelda walk in. She _was_ a sight for sore eyes...

The chancellor suddenly screeched, "Raising your head without permission? You ill-mannered urchin!"

The familiar blood-vessel in my head was throbbing again. Before I could tackle him, though, Zelda shushed him with a wave of her hand. "Don't pay any attention to chancellor Cole."

"What do you think I've been doing?"

This comment earns me more remarks from him. "Princess, hurry up and give him his certificate so that he can leave this castle!"

Zelda sighs, but calls over an old man who brings her the certificate. She then holds it out to me and says, "I hereby recognize our newest royal engineer, Link! Work hard, for we all rely on you, Link!"

The princess puts the certificate into my hands, and I couldn't help but jump for joy. _Finally! My engineering certificate!_ I was so happy that I didn't bother to correct Zelda that I was just a regular engineer since I wasn't of royal bloodline or specifically employed to her.

As I celebrate, however, Zelda pulls out a letter from her non-existing pocket She leans into me and says, "Shh, take this. No! Don't say a word right now! Read this later…. And beware the chancellor!" Zelda then walks back to her quarters, leaving me in the middle of the room with a letter she didn't want anybody else to see in my hand in front of the chancellor.

Thankfully, the chancellor was also an idiot, and he just walked along like nothing happened. Before disappearing through door on the right of the ridiculously tall throne, he says to me, "The ceremony's over. I suggest you move along, maybe polish your train or something. Not that it matters much." He suddenly grins devilishly. "The thing will be useless before long…." The chancellor than leaves me be.

… _.Did…. Did the chancellor just threaten me? He did, didn't he? And was what that about my train being useless before long? Is he planning to tamper with it?_ As I ponder over his words, I remember the news I heard about railroads disappearing. From the countless times that Niko had told me the story about this land's history, I already pieced together that the railroads were the shackles that held the demon-king at bay. Plus, it was in a picture, so everybody should know the importance of the railroads. _Since they're disappearing, then that means the seal is starting to break! I bet that's what the chancellor meant when he said my train is going to be useless pretty soon! If that's the case, then he's probably a monster himself, breaking the seals that holds the demon king!_

I start to panic a bit before realizing that Zelda had given me a letter. I rip the envelope open, wondering if that's what Zelda wanted to tell me about. _Surely, the princess of all Hyrule is going to know about something as obvious as this?_

The contents of the letter read out: ' _I have a great favor that I must ask of you in person. Follow this secret path at the top of the castle. Tap the map icon to copy the location to your map. Please come to my quarters as soon as you can, and don't let anyone see you. -Zelda.'_

"...What?"


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing that stood out to me in the letter was that Zelda didn't use my name. _She said my name clearly in the ceremony. Twice. How hard is it for her to say 'Link?' Secondly, what the heck does 'map icon' mean? And how does she even know that I have a map with me? Most people who are attending a graduation ceremony aren't usually going to be carrying that._

I groan as I throw crumple the letter and throw it into the moat next to the stairs. I could already tell that this situation was going to be nothing but trouble. Still, it sounded too important for me to ignore, so I follow the instructions she gave me.

The task of getting to Zelda's quarters was really easy, which made me a little concerned about public security. If being able to walk inside the castle with guards walking around was the maximum security for this castle, then a person could easily assassinate Zelda. But I knew that wouldn't happen. After all, that would be the logical thing to do.

Soon enough, I was in Zelda's chambers. Zelda herself was playing a flute, unbeknownst to my presence. Again, if I was an assassin, killing her wouldn't be all that hard.

She notices me, and immediately turns around. "Link! I'm so glad you made it! Did the guards see you?"

"No, they didn't. But I'm not sure if that's a good thing-"

"That's great!" Zelda goes and puts her flute on a dresser before continuing, "I was hoping you could help me. As you know, the Tower of Spirits has protected our kingdom for ages. The tower connects at the spirit tracks that criss-cross this land."

"Yeah, I know all that. It's common sense for most people."

She didn't look amused with my comment. "...ANYWAYS, for some reason they seem to be vanishing everywhere. Something must have happened at the tower. I must go there to investigate!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait. How is that a good idea?"

Zelda looks at me with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if something's happening to the Tower of Spirits, then it's most likely a monster. It would also have to be really powerful if it can make the spirit tracks dissapear, sooooo…. What are you exactly going to do? Fight this monster?"

Her face goes pale for a few seconds before she shakes it away with her head. "T-there are rumors of there being a sage who watches over the tower, so maybe she would have advice of what to do about the disappearing tracks."

"You heard about this from rumors? Wait, hasn't anyone ever actually been in the Tower of Spirits before? I mean, the door to it is always opened. Can't you just send some messengers to ride there and back to see if the sage actually exists?"

"I…. I guess I could…. But the thing is, chancellor Cole would surely know about it as well, and would probably stop them from leaving. He forbids me from visiting the Tower of Spirits due to 'safety concerns.'"

"Oh yeah, about that…." I scratch my temple awkwardly, wondering how Zelda was going to take the news that I was about to give her. "I think Chancellor Cole might be a monster in disguise."

Zelda frowns. "I mean, chancellor Cole is harsh sometimes, sure. But I think it's a bit much to be calling him a monster…."

"N-no, I mean an ACTUAL monster disguising as a human."

She gasps. "Chancellor Cole? A demon?! Now that's just preposterous!"

"How? I mean, you yourself told me to beware of him. He even said after the ceremony that my train was going to be useless soon!"

"He did?" She crosses her arms and takes a moment to think. "Well, I apologize for his rude behavior, but I'm sure he didn't actually mean it. He just likes to get a rise out of people."

I sputter at her oblivious nature. "You don't find it weird that he's keeping you from going to the Tower of Spirits?"

Zelda pouts at me. "I'm not an idiot! Of course I know he's hiding something!"

"Yet you don't think he's evil?"

She shakes her head. "That's ridiculous. He has earned the trust of each and every soldier here! I don't believe he could possibly be evil."

"..." I was an inch away from slamming my head against the wall from hearing her 'logic.' Still, despite her obliviousness to her chancellor's true intentions, I had to agree that something was most likely wrong at the Tower of Spirits. _Plus, if the spirit tracks disappeared for good, not only would a crisis occur throughout all the land, but I wouldn't be able to drive a train ever again._ I sigh and tell Zelda, "All right, I'll accompany you to the tower."

Zelda smiles brightly, almost making me forget about my frustration. Almost. "All right! Just sneak me out of here and we'll be on our way!"

"...Wait, you want me to DRIVE you to the tower?"

"Why yes. How else are we going to get there?"

"I mean, true, it's the fastest way to get there. But don't you think it's a bit obvious? The spirit tracks are disappearing from an evil force. What's to stop them from making the tracks disappear while we're on the way there?"

She thinks about my point for a few moments. "I guess it IS a bit risky…. But if we walk there, then we'll be even more exposed!"

"Well, is there another way there? Like a secret passage or something like that?"

"A secret passage…." She folds her arms and looks to her side. "Now that you mention it, there are rumors that there was a passage behind the castle that lead to the Tower of Spirits. But all the guards say that they didn't see an entrance."

"Well, have you ever taken a day to send in a group of miners to dig out the entrance?" Zelda doesn't respond to my question, so I take it as a no. "Wait here. I'll go grab Alfonzo real quick, and then we'll come back to start looking for the passageway."

"W-wait, how are you going to do that? The guards will just throw you out!"

"Simple. Just write me a letter saying that me and Alfonzo have free roam to the castle today. They'll buy it."

She frowns. "I'm not sure about it. I had a much safer idea for you to get around the castle actually."

"Really?" I haven't met many people who had bright ideas, so hearing her say that made me a bit excited. "Well what's your plan?"

"I grabbed a recruit uniform for you to wear. You should be able to fool the guards with this."

My eyes go wide at her statement. "...Are you serious?"

"Y-yeah, I am. Why?"

 _If anyone can wear a recruit uniform, then what's to stop someone from dressing up as a recruit and robbing the royal treasury?! Or even worse, kill someone?!_ I start to consider changing my career to a politician to actually make sure Hyrule is safe from harm. "I think it'll just be easier to write the letter. Plus, there's no rooms for me to change in."

"Oh, you can just change right here."

…...

…...

…...

"Zelda?"

"Yes Link?"

"Please write the letter before I lose my mind."

She pouts. "Arrrrrgh, do I have to? I've already had to write two dozens paper today-"

"WRITE THE FRIGGIN LETTER!"

* * *

Thankfully for my sanity, Zelda wrote the letter. It worked like a charm. None of the guards questioned the letter, and I was able to take Alfonzo into the castle. To my surprise, Alfonzo understood the situation quite well when Zelda talked to him, and he was ready to escort her.

To be honest, this wasn't anything new to me. Alfonzo may not be too bright when it comes to things like common sense, but when somebody's in danger or needs help, he's always the first one at the scene. It was one of the reasons why I wanted him to be my mentor when I started learning about engineering.

When the three of us went to go to the back of the castle, there was a little problem. Well, to Zelda anyways. There was a guard standing in front of the door, and she flipped out. "Oh no! How are we going to get past that guard?"

"Simple," I say to her, "You go talk to him."

"Whaaaaat?!" She shrieked so loudly that I was surprised the guard didn't hear her. "But the guards are ordered to take me to my room on sight!"

"Wait, if the guards take you to your room, then how was the passage you showed me a secret- *Sigh* Nevermind. Here, tell him this…." I whisper into her ear a script for the guard.

She looked a bit doubtful about my plan. "Do you think that'll work?"

I reassure her, "Don't worry. If there's anything I've learned from being at the castle, it's that your guards are loyal to you to a fault. He'll definitely listen to you." _That, and the guards are also extremely guillible._

Zelda's mouth goes agape for a moment before turning into a smile. "Thank you Link. I'll trust you." She then walks confidently to the guard. As she said, he started to tell her that she shouldn't be walking around the castle and that he was going to escort her back to her room when she starts to recite my words. "I have an important message for you. You have the rest of today off."

The guard instantly becomes speechless from the sentence. "R-really?! But why?"

Zelda giggles, an excellent tactic to soften the guard up. I was going to have to be careful of that myself. "You've worked so hard every day, yet you never complain about your duties. I decided that you deserved some time off, at the very least."

"P-princess…." The guard suddenly starts bawling. "Thank you for your kindness! I promise that I'll work harder for you then ever!" He then starts walking to the staircase. Me and Alfonzo quickly run up the stairs and get behind a corner, barely making it in time to avoid detection.

When we meet up with Zelda at the bottom of the stairs she smiles at me. "That was much easier than I thought it would be. I'm going to have to use that line when the guards spot me sneaking out of the castle from now on!"

I realize that I had unintentionally made a terrible mistake helping her dupe the guard. "Er, maybe you shouldn't. The castle needs at least SOME guards here."

"Oh…. I didn't think about that. I guess you're right." She then turns to the door, not seeing me wipe my brow in relief. "Anyways, let's start looking for that entrance!"

Me and Alfonzo nod firmly to her. I tell princess Zelda, "We're right behind you," as we begin our adventure to restore the Spirit Tracks.


	4. Chapter 4: A Somewhat-Deadly Encounter

-Link-

We walk into the castle's backyard. There were a few Spinuts walking around, but Alfonzo quickly gets rid of them with his rapier. It was a bit weird to see him in action, since he was usually relaxed and reserved. Still, his strength as a soldier certainly paid off here.

I inspect the area a little for the secret passage, but there was nothing to be seen, leaving only one possibility. "I think the passage is behind a part of the rock. That bomb flower-" _Why the heck is a bomb flower even in this place? If anything it just makes it easier to get in or even destroy Hyrule Castle!_ "-will help us find it."

Zelda asks me, "But how are we going to find the spot? Are just going to throw the bomb flower at the cliff until we find it?"

"No, that's really dangerous and stupid." I ignore the glare that Zelda gives me and press my ear against a part of the wall. "If the passage is here, then a part of the wall will sound hollow. We just keep knocking our knuckles on the rock until we hear an echo."

She gasps in awe. "Oooooh! That's really smart of you!"

"Eh, it's not that big of a deal." _Which is kind of the problem I have with people._

The three of us rap our knuckles against the rock for a few minutes. We eventually find the spot, which was on the top level of the rocks. I then grab the bomb flower and blow the wall up, which sure enough leads to the passage we were looking for. It was pretty weird how the bottom of the ground was fine even after the explosion, but Zelda and Alfonzo rush into the cave, forcing me to abandon my thoughts and run after them.

Inside of the cave was a big door, along with a switch and a block of steel. After testing the switch, we discover that it actually lowers the door. The only problem was that the door only stayed open as long as there was something on the switch, which meant we would be leaving someone behind to keep the door open. I knew that Alfonzo had to stay with us, as he was the only brawn we had, but I didn't feel comfortable staying behind in case there was some kind of obstacle that required logic to get through. Knowing these two, they'd just come back to get me.

As I think about how to get past the door, Zelda points out, "Why don't we use that block over there?"

" _That_?!" I shout. "It's made out of **steel**!"

She eagerly nods her head. "Yeah! It's perfect for weighing down the switch!"

 _You're missing the point here princess…_ I walk up to the block, a bit daunted by the task at hand. _Well, I CAN lift boulders twice the size of me and throw it hard enough to turn it into dust, even though I'm still barely a kid. Maybe I can move this block._ I bend my knees and place both of my hands on the block. _Still, this IS steel we're talking about, and it's the size of me, maybe even bigger. It's probably going to take both me and Alfonzo to even have a chance of-_

*Sound of the block moving easily*

"..." I push the block again to see if it was a fluke. It wasn't. In less than a minute I push the _BLOCK THE SAME SIZE AS ME MADE ENTIRELY OF STEEL_ onto the switch.

Zelda shouts, "Great, the door's open! Let's continue on!"

The two start walking towards the door when Alfonzo notices that I wasn't moving. He asks me, "Link? Are you all right?"

"...Alfonzo."

"Yeah Link?"

"I'm not so sure if I'm actually human anymore."

* * *

-Man wearing bandanna-

"Bah!" Cole cries out. "What's taking those pests so long?! It's been almost twenty minutes, yet the brat's train is STILL at Hyrule Town!"

I sigh at his tantrum. "Why don't you just make the spirit tracks disappear early? Then we can go corner Zelda in her not-as-secret-as-she-thinks-it-is-chamber and-"

"No, you fool! It HAS to be when they're on the tracks! What else is better than making the spirit tracks disappear while there's a train on it? Nothing I tell you, it's PERFECT!" He starts to laugh maniacally, proud of his plan.

If he wasn't the only way to revive Malladus, I would have sent him back to the shadows a _looooong_ time ago.

Still, I had to acknowledge that Cole was right about Zelda and Link being late. Well, assuming that his plan actually worked the way it was suppose to. "Are you sure that Zelda told Link about her suspicions?"

"Yes, I'm positive that she did!"

"Even though we have no clear way of knowing that Zelda somehow met with Link, and if she did then it would be in private, so we _still_ wouldn't know that for sure-"

"I told you already, yes! I'm sure of it!"

I sigh, and I feel a migraine starting to form. "Well, is there any _other_ way that they could get to the tower without using a train?"

"What? No that's impossib-" Cole's eyes suddenly widens, and his mouth drops open. "...Oh crap."

* * *

-Link-

The secret passage, for some odd reason, led about twenty feet _outside_ the Spirit Tower instead of _inside_ it, which kinda ruined the point of the passage being safe and secure. Still, it was close enough for us to get there on foot. "C'mon," I say to Alfonzo and Zelda, "We're almost at the tower. Let's hurry before something bad happens!"

As soon as I finish that sentence, the train tracks that led from Hyrule to the tower disappears right before our eyes. I wasn't surprised honestly, considering the obvious foreshadow that the chancellor unknowittingly gave me, neither was I surprised when Cole suddenly appears out of nowhere cackling like crazy.

I was, however, surprised when a tall man with a bandanna over his mouth walked to us, shaking his head with every step. Seriously, we were in an open field and he just walks over to us as if he just came out of a door.

"Cole," the strange man said, "You're making us look stupid."

Cole scowls at the other guy and shouts, "Shut up, **Bryn**!" He said the name particularly loud for some reason as well.

"Wow, sure, give our enemies my name. That can only help us in the long run."

"I said to zip it!" Cole then turns back to us. "...*Ahem!* I seemed to have underestimated you, brat. You pulled a fast one on me, I'll give you that. However, this is as far as you will get to the Tower of Spirits! Bryn and I will make sure of that! Bwahahahaha!"

Bryn shakes his head again, and for a moment I wonder if he was really Cole's ally.

Even so, I was starting to get a bit worried. _Although Cole is an idiot, he looks like he can control magic. On top of that, the guy next to him seems to know what he's doing, and looks about as beefy as Alfonzo. Alfonzo is the only one that has a weapon as well, which leaves him outnumbered…_

"Link."

Alfonzo cuts off my thoughts. I look at him and see that he's starting to walk towards Bryn. "I'll take care of these two. You take the princess to the tower."

"What?! Alfonzo, I know you were part of Zelda's royale guard once, but this is just-"

Alfonzo cuts me off again, "Right now, the most important thing is Zelda's safety. If she gets kidnapped, then all of Hyrule will be in danger." Alfonzo pulls out his rapier out of his sheath. He holds the blade upwards, inches away from his face as he takes a fighting stance. "I cannot allow these foul beings to do that! I will stop them, here and now!"

"A-Alfonzo…." I bite my lip in frustration. _For once, he's right. The bigger picture here is to get Zelda to the tower of spirits._ After mustering up all of my guts, I grab Zelda's hand and start to pull her towards the tower. "Come on, we have to go!"

"What?!" She looks back to my friend standing off against Bryn. "B-but Alfonzo-"

"I'm worried about him too Zelda, but he's putting himself at risk for us to get away! We can't just waste this chance like-"

All of a sudden, my body collides into something. I tumble to the ground, wondering what I just ran into when I see some sort of magical-wall in front of me.

"Nice try..." I turn around and see Bryn with his right arm extended towards me and Zelda. "...But did you really think I would let you get away? If I wanted, you'd already be dead."

I hear Alfonzo growl in frustration. I was also pretty pissed at Bryn, but I knew that the only thing I could do now was trust my friend to make it back alive.

After a few moments of intense silence, Alfonzo charges towards Bryn. He swings his sword with such power and speed that I wondered if he was the same Alfonzo I knew. His expression was blazing with determination, and I could feel his will to protect us emanating from his body.

Bryn, however, was easily keeping up with him. He parries all of Alfonzo's slices with his metal arm, and he looks unimpressed from Alfonzo's effort.

After a couple of more attacks, Alfonzo lunged towards Bryn. Bryn moves to the sidesteps his attack and counter-punches Alfonzo in the face. The strength of his punch was massive, as Alfonzo flies past me and lands roughly on the ground.

I cry out, "ALFONZO!"

"Don't worry kid," Bryn calls out to me, "He's still alive. No point in killing someone who's too weak to lay a scratch on me." He then holds his mechanical arm out and beckons with his index finger. "Now then… Give us the princess, and you can walk away without a beatdown."

 _Alfonzo... Weak?_

 _Give you the princess?_

I curl my fists, my heart burning with rage and my teeth grinding together. "You'll be lucky to still have your teeth when I'm done with you!"

Bryn's eyes widen in surprise. After a few moments, he sighs and says, "Have it your way. Don't say I didn't warn you." He then charges towards me, leaving me with very little time to think.

 _Okay, so he used his left arm throughout the entire fight. That means he'll most likely attack me the same way!_

I watch his left hand, which he sure enough uses. I duck just in time, and then drive my fist into his stomach as hard as I can. His eyes widens, and he staggers a bit.

Bryn looks at me, a baffled expression on his face, before straightening his posture. "Not bad, kid. I didn't think you could throw a punch like that. But there's a distinct difference between us."

Before I can even blink, I feel something in my stomach.

Pain.

"I have the power to kill you. You don't."

My vision suddenly grows bleak, and I find myself unable to breath. Bryn removes his fist from me, allowing my body to fall to the ground.

 _Z-Zelda… Alfonzo…_

I try to push myself up, only to collapse onto the ground. My bones felt weaker than chu-jelly, and I felt like hurling.

The last thing that I see is Cole approaching Zelda maliciously, and Zelda's scream fades into my subconscious.

* * *

-Bryn-

"MWAHAHAHAHA! Excellent work Bryn!"

"Yeah, no kidding. I was the one who handled everything."

Cole glares at me for that, but calms down rather quickly. "No matter. We have Zelda's body, and are now ready to start the revival of Malladus. Let's go to the top of the Spirit Tower, posthaste!"

I grab Zelda's body and start following Cole. However, there were some doubts in my mind. _Zelda's spirit just flew away. Cole is too much of an idiot to know this, but Zelda can still walk and talk as anybody else can. While it shouldn't matter, if someone can see her, then it might become a problem, especially if she talks to Anjean or the other Lokomos._

As I think to myself, I find myself right next to the unconscious bodies of the two men protecting Zelda. Although the brute wasn't anything special, the kid was pretty smart. And pretty strong. _Unlike most people, it seems that he can actually use his head. With a person like him around, there's no telling what kind of ruckus he may cause._ _The most logical answer to this is to kill him right now, just to be sure..._

Cole notices that I had stopped walking, and he shouts to me, "Bryn? What're you slouching around for?"

...

I shake my head and reply, "It's nothing." Cole and I then continue to keep walking with Cole to the tower.

On the way to the tower, I kick myself internally. I was plenty aware that the kid could be a potential problem against reviving Malladus, as his analytical skills exceeded most others. Even so, I didn't have the guts to do it. While I was ensuring humanity's destruction by reviving Malladus, I never actually killed a person before. Maybe sparing the boy was my way of trying to justify myself. Or maybe I was still too weak.

Either way, my goal was to obtain the power that I so-craved for years, nothing more, nothing less. I could spare to let a kid live a little bit longer.


	5. Chapter 5: Failure and Resolve

-Link-

"...*GASP!*"

I wake up in a cold sweat, complimented by the lingering pain of Bryn's punch. Adrenaline starts to rush to my head, but I quickly notice that I was in a room, not lying on my face on the ground. After realizing this, I see Zelda's teacher standing a few feet from me. He cries out, "Oh, Link, you're finally up! I must say, it's a relief to see that you're alright."

I rub my temple, still feeling very confused. "What happened…? How long have I been out for?"

"Well, the time that has elapsed since the guards found you and Alfonzo is is about… Five minutes, give or take."

"FIVE MINUTES?!" I was dumbfounded that Bryn's punch, which was strong enough to send Alfonzo flying a few dozen feet, only knocked me out for five minutes. Either I was even _more_ inhumane than I thought, or Bryn was more merciful than he seemed to be. I was betting on the former, though. "How… How did you find me and Alfonzo?"

"Ah, that. You see, there was this huge noise outside, so I decided to go see what it was. All of a sudden, the Spirit Tracks disappeared, and the Spirit Tower broke apart! The guards then investigated the area to see if they could catch the culprit, and ended up finding you two passed out on the ground. They took you back here, and you've been resting here since then."

"...Wow."

"What is it?"

"Nothing, just…" _I didn't think that any of the guards could actually do their jobs correctly, considering how dumb they were earlier._

After taking a moment to collect my bearings, I see that the bed next to me was occupied by Alfonzo, who was still unconscious. Guilt wrings my heart, stronger than I had ever felt in my life. _I'm so sorry Alfonzo. You got hurt for me and the princess, and I let you down…_

 _...Wait a minute, the princess!_

I leap out of bed and run out of the room, ignoring the calls from the teacher that I still need to rest. _I almost forgot that Zelda was taken by Bryn and Cole! I HAVE to get back to the Spirit Tower as fast as I can! With Zelda kidnapped, who knows what the two have-_

As I turn a corner, the sight of a blue ball floating in the middle of the hallway makes me come to a stop. I stare in confusion of what it was, and contemplate if I should alert the guards when it starts to morph...

...Into princess Zelda!

She was looking just as confused as I was. Zelda says in a shaky tone, "Hello…? Can anyone hear me?"

I call out to her, which was the obvious and practical course of action in this situation, "Zelda? Is that you?"

She immediately turns to me, her face in shock. "Link? You... You can see me?"

"Y-yeah, I guess, but… What happened to you?!"

"Well, I-"

"Actually, wait. We should probably talk somewhere more private. The guards are starting to give me strange looks."

"O-oh, alright… In that case, let's go to my secret chambers. I have something there to give to you anyways."

I say to her, "Actually, it's not as secret as you might think it is…" Zelda, however, doesn't seem to hear me, and continues to float to her chambers. I let out a big groan, and quickly run after her.

* * *

The two of us quickly make our way to her chambers. As soon as we get there, she starts to rant, "Okay, to be honest, I am really freaking out right now! I mean, I got zapped by chancellor Cole, who I thought was a normal person for years, and all of a sudden I'm separated from my body! Now I'm floating, none of the guards can hear me or see me, and I'm craving to eat something very very unhealthy right now!"

"Whoa whoa, hang on! Take some deep breaths Zelda. I know this is scary, but if we don't have a cool head, we're not going to get anywhere."

"Uhh… O-okay, I'll try to calm down…" She takes some deep breaths. At the same time, her body starts to sink through the floor.

"H-hey Zelda!"

"Whoops!" She quickly floats back up. "I'm sorry. I got a bit too into it there… But yeah, I do feel a bit better now. Thank you Link"

Her words make me smile... Just a bit though. "It's nothing. Now, where do we go from here? As far as I can tell, only I can see you."

She crosses her arms together. "I am a bit curious why you're the only one who can see me though. Are you perhaps related to the hero of the seas?"

"You mean the Link that Tetra traveled with? No, that's impossible. If that was the case, then I would be part of your family, and there's no records of that marriage of ever happening." The thought of Zelda and I being related makes my stomach feel sick for some reason.

"Well, who your parents are HAS to be some kind of connection of being able to see me!"

Her questions strikes a nerve. A very sensitive nerve. "Well, I can see you," I say in a tone that held a hint of aggression. "That's all that matters."

"Huh? What are you talking about? Your parents may be a very big connection to-"

"I SAID THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER!"

My anger hushes Zelda instantly. She looks down in guilt and mutters, "...I'm sorry."

 _Great. Now you've done it, Link._ I take a deep breath and say, "No, no, it's not your fault. I'm sorry too."

A few seconds of awkward silence passes. Since I was the one who started it, I bite the arrow and break the silence. "So… You said you wanted me to have something?"

"Oh, that's right! You see that flute over there?"

I look at her drawer, and see the flute that she was playing when I first came in here. "Yeah… Is that what you want me to take?"

She nods. "It's been in my family for many generations. Since it's an ancient artifact, I thought it might help us in our quest."

"Wait, you left something that important here? Why didn't you bring it with you the first time we went to the Spirit Tower?!"

She chuckles nervously. "I, uh… Forgot."

"..."

"H-hey, don't give me that look! I was under a lot of stress at the time, okay?!"

I sigh. "Whatever." I then pick up the flute, and take a moment to look at it more closely. _It looks pretty nice. This flute… Also seems to be in pretty good condition. Seriously, it doesn't even look like it's been made a year ago._ I was tempted to ask Zelda when the flute was made, but I didn't have the energy to deal with another clueless answer. Instead, I put it into my bag and ask Zelda, "So are we going to head back to the Spirit Tower?"

She nods her head with a look of determination. "I'm ready to get some payback for those two stealing my body!"

"That's not a very princess-like thing to say, but… There's a score that I have to settle. Alfonzo put himself on the line for us, yet I failed to do my part. I failed you too." I look at Zelda with the same fierceness that was she giving me. "I promise that I'm going to fix my mistakes."

Zelda and I look nod in union, the both of us ready to do the job right this time.

However, I quickly realize that we had a problem. "Hang on a second. I don't actually have a sword of my own, so we… Well, _I_ don't have a way of protecting myself. Do you know where I can get one?"

"A sword? Well, you can always ask the head of the guard. If you pose as a new guard and pass his training, he might give you one. I think I still have that tunic in my dresser..."

I groan at the thought. On one hand it was a decent plan, but on the other hand, if I were to try to pose as a new guard, then I would immediately be put on patrol instead of just being able to grab a sword and leave the castle without special permission... Assuming that the guards were actually competent doing their job, of course. Plus, I like wearing my engineer uniform much better than a green tunic. It looked cool on me, and I think that a different costume design on a hero who always wears the same green tunic throughout centuries is a nice change of pace. _Is there any other way I can get a sword WITHOUT doing that whole process?_

 _...Wait, maybe there is!_

I walk to the training room in my engineer outfit, although it made Zelda pout that I refused to wear that green tunic again. The head of the guard was there, and he immediately looks at me in confusion. "Hey, who are you? You can't be in the castle!"

"Actually," I say as I pull out the letter Zelda wrote earlier, "I can. I have Zelda's permission to roam the castle today."

He looks at it, and after a few seconds, he nods in approval. "That's the princess's signature alright. Well in that case, what brings you here? Did you come to watch some of us guards in action?"

"No, I'm not. I came here for a favor. You see, I'm friends with Alfonzo. He's my engineer mentor, actually."

The head guard's eyes suddenly bulges out of his sockets. "Wait, you mean THE Alfonzo?! The previous captain of Zelda's guard?!"

I nod. "I'm sure you've heard the news about his injury. I was actually there with him at the time of the accident. I can't say why we were there, but… Well... I let him down." My fists tighten in anger, and I could feel myself getting frustrated again. "I want to do good by him and redeem myself. To do that, I need a sword. Please, for the sake of Alfonzo... No, for the sake of my friend, can you lend me a sword?"

The guard stares at me in silence for a few moments. Then he bursts into laughter. "You may be small, but I can tell from that look in your eye that you're a tough kid. Besides, I could never say no to a friend of Alfonzo. In fact, I'll do you one better: You can _have_ one of our swords!"

My mouth is agape, even as he grabs a sword off the shelf and hands it to me. "Wow, I… Thank you. I deeply appreciate this."

"Don't mention it kid! Whatever thing you messed up on, I'm sure that you can fix it! Knock 'em dead, kid!"

I smile at the head guard. _I guess not all of Hyrule's guards are bad..._

Zelda says estatically to me, "Great! You got a sword now!" She suddenly pouts again and says, "I don't know why you were so stubborn about not wearing that tunic though. I think that it's cool…"

"Hey, can you blame a guy for liking pants instead?"

She sighs, but still smiles. "Anyways, now we can go back to the Tower Of Spirits!"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

"...Although, could we… _NOT_ , perhaps, take the secret entrance to the Tower Of Spirits?"

"Huh? Why not? The tracks leading there are gone, so it's the safest way to get back there."

Zelda looks away, an uncomfortable expression on her face. "It's just that… Well... I don't…"

I look at her in confusion, but it quickly clicks in my mind of why Zelda was acting so nervous. "Zelda," I say with a groan, "You've _really_ got to get over your fear of rats."

"D-don't make fun of me, okay?! Their eyes are _lifeless_ , and their skin is all moldy and gross! It's like they're a dead person walking!"

"Kind of like you…"

Zelda glares at me with a rage that could make a Stalfos sweat. " ** _What_ _was_ _that?!_** "

"Nothing!"


End file.
